The cerulean flycatcher is a medium-sized, blue passerine with bright caerulean blue plumage, a bare white orbital ring, dark brown iris, bluish black bill and pale blue-grey below. The young has a shorter tail and grey underparts. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Eutrichomyias. Although it resembles a monarch flycatcher, it is actually related to the fantails.
Region
Sangihe Islands (North Sulawesi), Indonesia
Typical Environment
Occurs only in remnants of primary and mature secondary montane evergreen forest on Mount Sahendaruman. It favors steep ravines, stream gullies, and dense midstory where it can glean and sally for insects. The species is strongly tied to intact canopy and understory structure and is rarely seen in heavily degraded or open areas. Its entire known range is within a very small, contiguous forest block vulnerable to encroachment and timber extraction.
Altitude Range
600–1100 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Once feared extinct, the cerulean flycatcher was rediscovered in 1998 on Sangihe Island, Indonesia. It is confined to a tiny patch of montane forest around Mount Sahendaruman and is among the most range-restricted birds in the world. Though it resembles monarch flycatchers, genetic work indicates a closer relationship to fantails. Ongoing habitat protection and community forest management are crucial for its survival.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with agile sallying flights
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes accompanying mixed-species flocks in the midstory. Pairs maintain small territories in dense forest and are likely seasonal breeders with cup nests placed on horizontal branches or forks. Parental care is assumed to be biparental as in related flycatchers.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Thin, high-pitched whistles and soft, piping notes delivered from shaded perches. Phrases are repeated with pauses and can be easily masked by stream noise and insect buzz.
Plumage
Bright cerulean-blue upperparts with paler blue-grey underparts; smooth, sleek plumage with minimal streaking. Feathers are clean-toned, giving a uniform blue appearance on the head, mantle, and tail.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small flying and foliage-dwelling insects such as flies, beetles, moths, and caterpillars, as well as spiders. Often sallies from a perch to catch prey mid-air, then returns to the same or nearby perch. Also gleans from leaves and twigs in the mid-canopy.
Preferred Environment
Forages in shaded midstory and lower canopy along steep gullies and near streams where insect abundance is high. Avoids open edges, preferring continuous, humid forest with dense understory.
